Food News: Jamón Ibérico Arriving Soon!

There are prized delicacies found in most corners of the world that are either very difficult to find, or are nonexistent in the US. Real Kobe beef (not Wagyu!) from Japan, black truffles from France, and sevruga caviar, for example.

Jamón ibérico (Iberian ham) from Spain falls in this category, and is scheduled to arrive in the United States this summer for the first time.

Previously banned because the USDA didn't approve of the curing methods, it has now been greenlighted. At a cost of $100 per pound, it is one of the world's most expensive meats. It comes from a type of free-roaming black footed pig that eats acorns, which give the pig its unique taste due to a high oleic acid content from the acorns. After slaughter, the pigs are cured from nine months to two years. The meat is sliced very thin like Italian prosciutto, and served with Spanish cheese and bread.